Prisoner: I'd Follow Her Anywhere
by dawnindanite
Summary: Gendry's musings in 02x08 and 02x10. Purely based on the show and not the books. One-sided, sort of, Gendry/Arya with speculation of Arya/Jaqen
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First time writing in this fandom. But darn if I'm not a Gendry/Arya (Gendrya) shipper. I love them in the show.

Thank you, Joe Dempsie for the inspirational delivery of "You _need_ him?"

Warning: Harsh language and speculation of underage sex.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the plot.

* * *

I hadn't seen in her a fortnight and the first thing that comes out of her mouth is, "Where's Jaqen?" A greeting would have been nice. Gods, the girl was such a pain in my ass. Ever since Lord Tywin had us assigned to different duties, she's been running around doing who knows what, leaving me with only Hot Pie as company. There's only so much a man can take of talks of pie.

I give her a look of disbelief. "How would I know?" How _would_ I know? She's the one bloody stupid enough to step foot near the cretin. Everyone else has sense to stay away from the man with red and white hair.

"I need him now!" She pauses a bit before continuing. "Lord Tywin is marching tonight." Fuck the reason. If it were any girl besides Arya who said that they needed a man, I probably wouldn't have given two shits. But this girl, the one who refused to let me carry a water pail for her even though she struggled, she never needed anyone.

"You _need_ him?" Shit, I wasn't supposed to say that. To hell with it, it's out there.

Why did she shift her eyes like that?

"He's helping me."

Helping her with what? Taking off her small clothes? She's just a child, why can't she see that? That Lorathi better not be touching Arya. Nobody should be touching Arya.

"I saw him." Bloody Hot Pie with food in his mouth. Stay out of this.

The way she ran to squeeze Hot Pie's cheeks, the desperation in her voice. Gods, I can't...how in love with the man was she?

She turns around after Hot Pie gives his answer and asks her why she wants him, but she's lost to the pudgy boy, and to me.

I slam the horseshoe again with the hammer. Lord Tywin's marching; maybe she wanted to squeeze in a good fuck before he leaves. Why am I so angry? At her, at him. It's irrational, but then again, what do I know about being rational, I'm just Gendry, a bastard boy from a forge.

I stare after Arya, something she normally picks up on, but this time she doesn't even notice. Hot Pie is speaking again. He doesn't realize that I don't give a damn about cherry pies.

"Hot Pie, shouldn't you be in the kitchens?" I ask, before slamming down on the horseshoe again.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving." He gets up slowly, and frowns, "Between you and Arry, you'd think that we're at war or something."

Sometimes I wonder if that boy has pie between his ears. "We are at war, if you haven't noticed." I gesture around, "We're prisoners."

Hot Pie spies Arya coming back, he shoots me a terrified look before scurrying off, "I'm going back to the kitchens."

Arya stands beside me again. "If you see Jaqen, will you come tell me?"

To hell with Jaqen, but damn if I can say no to this little being. I nod.

* * *

"He's helping me, us, escape. Tonight. Midnight."

"What? Arry, slow down and explain." I was resting on our pile of straw in our corner of the cell. It was a step better than the muddy earth we slept in when we first got here.

She kneels down and starts whispering, her eyes wide, but fierce. "Jaqen, he's agreed to help us get out of here. We leave tonight."

A million thoughts ran through my mind, starting with the question of what she had to pay in order to strike a deal with the odd-spoken man.

"How'd you manage−" I start to ask but she shakes her head.

"There's no time. Are you coming with me?"

Always, I want to say. I just nod.

Arya lets a ghost of a smile grace her lips, but her eyes harden again. "Good. You need to find Hot Pie and tell him."

"We're bringing Hot Pie?" Honestly, the boy was irking.

She nods, "He's ours, Bull. We can't leave him." Damn it to hell if this girl wasn't loyal. "And he'll be able to grab us some food from the kitchens." And smart. No one could deny this girl was smart.

She gets up. I almost reach for her ankle to pull her down. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check the gates. I'll be back in a bit. Get Hot Pie." She reminds me before she leaves.

* * *

We've been crouching for a good while now. Hot Pie's been going on about his bloody pies the whole time. I'm about to turn around and strangle him. I glance at Arya, but she's too focused on the guards. Stupid Jaqen, it's past midnight, and he hasn't done anything to distract them. Hot Pie is whining again.

"Shut up!" I whisper.

"Probably in the pie crust by now. In the oven, the nice, warm oven." He continues, like he doesn't even hear me.

"Shut up." This time, Arya speaks. "What did you bring?"

Hot Pie starts talking about the food, but I only half-listen, still wary of the guards.

I sigh, we were wasting time, "What did he want us to do about those guards?" I can't even bring myself to say his name. But she knows who I'm talking about.

"He didn't say. He just said walk through the gates."

"Yeah, well, what about the guards?" Exactly what game was the man playing at? He's got Arya waiting on him, trusting him so completely.

"He didn't say anything about the guards," she repeats.

Did they even plan this thing? "Well, he left that bit out?" I can't even mask my frustration. "That's a pretty important part, don't you think?" I want to reach out and shake her, but she continues staring at the gates.

"We have to trust him." Gods, why does she have so much faith in him? Why was she so in love with him?

"Trust _him_? You trusted him to fight with us, and you set him free, and he ran." I breathe out, trying to get her to see the real him, and not the man she's imagined him to be.

"I want to go back to the kitchens." Hot Pie cries out before I can continue ranting.

"Shut up," she turns to look at him, and ignoring me, like she didn't even hear me. "Stay here if you're afraid." She turns and I see her swallow in the low flickering light. Oh gods, she isn't...

"Arry, don't!" It's too late, she's already gotten up and walking towards the guards. She's going to die, we're going to die because hell if I let her go alone. I stand to my feet and slowly follow her. Maybe the guards will think we just have to take a piss or something, outside the gates.

We walk, closer and closer to the arch. The guards haven't said anything. Strange. We walk closer, and still they're eerily still. But then we notice, they're dangling off the walls. Nothing, no words between us, we just keep marching on.

Fuck, Jaqen has killed men for Arya. No wonder she's swooning after him.

* * *

A/N: Not very exciting, but I couldn't help but love Gendry's reaction to everything Arya did in that episode. :)

Please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you guys think of this.

Love,

Dawnindanite


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I did intend for this to be a one-shot, but gah. The plot-bunny got me. So here is another chapter dedicated to the 30 sec Gendrya scene we got in the season 2 finale.

Disclaimer: No legal affiliation with Game of Thrones and/or A Song of Ice and Fire

* * *

It's been two days since we've left Harrenhal. Hot Pie's eaten most of our food, and Arya's determined to get us to Riverrun, back to her family.

"My brother and mother are there. They'll take you in, I promise. I bet Robb will let you smith," Arya breathes out as she starts to climb one particular nasty hill.

I didn't say anything. I didn't leave for the job, I left so that I could watch her back. Can't tell her that though, she'd try to shove me into the next gutter if I told her.

"I'm hungry." Fuck. That's the hundredth time that Hot Pie has complained about the lack of food.

I turn around and give him a look. "Shut up. You just ate this morning, and you know we've got to ration what we have left. Who knows when we'll be able to find food."

Arya pauses slightly up ahead, listening to what I said. Shit. She hasn't given that much thought, and now there's something else for her to worry about. I grip the daggers in my hands tightly. Arya wanted swords but these were all I could get.

I catch up to her, letting Hot Pie straggle far behind. I nudge her, "We'll find something, alright? There's probably a couple of inns we can loot."

She smirks. "Thought you said you were an armorer's apprentice?"

What? I ask her as much.

"When we first met, you told me that Yoren's," she pauses at his name, his death still haunting her, "collection was made up of rapers, pickpockets, highwaymen, and murderers. I asked you what you were and you told me you were an armorer's apprentice. Seems to me, you're more highwayman."

Gods, how does this girl remember a conversation from what seems to be a lifetime ago.

"Rather starve to death, would you?"

She shrugs, but still smirks. Good. I haven't seen her smile since we've started this trek. I purposefully step forward ahead of her. Let her know that she doesn't always have to lead.

There's someone watching us. I have no idea how I knew that, probably been locked up too long in that miserable fortress, watching my back in case any of those fucking guards try to stab me with their steel. Shit. If it isn't Jaqen fucking H'ghar. I turn back to the other two. Arya's already spotted him.

Hot Pie voices my thoughts exactly. "How did he find us?"

I slow my steps, already Arya's walking faster as if she can't wait to talk to him. Or fuck him. I'm not sure which.

She turns around, stumbling as she holds up a hand and looks at me. I know what she wants. To be with him. Alone.

I keep my eyes on him, but one blink and I lose him. I wanted to tell Arya, but she's already paces ahead. I see a sweep of a cape right behind her. What the fuck? How the bloody hell did he get down here so fast?

I sit on a rock, making sure to keep Arya in sight. I grip the daggers again, this time out of the cloth.

Hot Pie is panting next to me. "You think Arry would mind if I take the last bite of cheese?"

"You might lose a thumb when she finds out." I answer, still watching the little tomboy.

It's been a couple of minutes. What can they possibly be talking about? I get up and slowly walk closer, to get within hearing distance.

I reach a safe distance just as the man is leaving, but Arya speaks softly to catch his attention again. Softly, but I hear every word.

"Please, don't go, Jaqen."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck the old gods and the new. She wants him with her, begged him even. I turn around to get back to Hot Pie. I stare at the daggers in my hands.

Hot Pie eyes me. "What are you doing?"

She chose him. She only keeps us out of necessity, I want to tell him. I had half a mind to leave Arya and her bloody knight-in-armour.

The shuffling of dirt behind me makes me turn around. It's Arya, just Arya. She stares at me with her grey eyes. The cheerfulness from earlier is gone.

"Where'd he go?" Hot Pie asks, standing up.

Arya shrugs. A lie. She was too nosy to not ask where he was headed. "Not with us."

Good.

She looks down at the unclothed daggers in my hand before looking back up at me. I can still do it. I can leave her. I'm free now. There's no need for me to stay here and risk my life.

"Gendry?" She knows. I know she knows. Her eyes. Her fucking eyes. Just as I can read hers, she can read mine. Ask me. Ask me to stay. If you can bloody well ask him, you can ask me, too.

I stare at her, unmoving. Waiting, but I know it's no use, she's hardened her stare and turns away.

She doesn't need me. I should just go. But gods, she's just...just so fucking Arya and I can't.

"Well, come on then, we don't have all day." I'm kind of surprised to hear my own voice. I push past her and keep walking, wrapping the daggers up as I move.

It's only a beat before she catches up to me. It takes a few minutes, but I feel it. The brush of her hand against mine. It's her way of saying thanks.

The stubborn wolf. Can never bow down to the Bull. But, she'll gladly stand next to him.

And gods, the Bull will do anything to stand by the wolf.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much to those who have this story on fav and who have left a review!

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Love,

D


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